Tesla's Not-So-Autonomous Odyssey

<p>In a plot twist that surely some of us saw coming, Tesla is recalling a
whopping 2 million-plus vehicles across the U.S. Why? To fix a quirky problem
with a system that's supposed to make sure drivers aren't daydreaming when
cruising on Autopilot. Spoiler alert: It's not as foolproof as they thought.</p><p>Tesla's Safety Dance</p><p>The EV-maker’s recall comes after a two-year dance with the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Turns out, the Autopilot's
method of babysitting drivers can be a bit, well, inadequate. A series of
crashes later, some even fatal, and here we are – a recall to allow Tesla to jazz
up warnings, alerts, and tweak where Autopilot can do its thing.</p><p>Adding Controls and Warnings</p><p>Now, while Tesla's attempting to sprinkle some magic recall dust,
safety experts aren't exactly doing the happy dance. Why? Because, dear reader,
the recall doesn't fix the underlying issue. It just adds more bells and
whistles, the driver is still the one responsible for spotting and stopping
obstacles. Which, if you’ll pardon a luddite, is a good thing, surely?</p><p>But, the underlying issue is that, according to the NHTSA, the system’s
method of making sure that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and
can lead to “foreseeable misuse of the system.” So… if the driver isn’t paying
attention, and they’re the one responsible for spotting… It’s just too complicated.
It almost makes you think that self-driving cars just aren’t there yet.</p><p>Autosteer, Traffic Aware Cruise Control, and More</p><p>Let's dive into the Tesla self-driving alphabet soup: Autosteer,
Traffic Aware Cruise Control, and the star of the show, Autopilot. The update
does play around with where Autosteer can strut its stuff. If conditions aren't
right, it’ll refuse to engage. But the big question remains: Why can't Tesla's
automated systems spot and stop for obstacles? A big question? Sort of huge if
you think about it.</p><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">While there are many articles that do not accurately convey the nature of our safety systems, the recent Washington Post article is particularly egregious in its misstatements and lack of relevant context. We at Tesla believe that we have a moral obligation to continue…</p>— Tesla (@Tesla) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1734374558105293081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote><p>The Unhappy Critics of Autopilot</p><p>Safety advocates have been banging the drum for stronger regulations on
driver monitoring systems. They've been shouting for cameras to keep an eye on
the driver, just like other automakers with similar systems. But the Autopilot
drama continues, with critics saying this recall doesn't tackle yet another
problem – Teslas crashing into emergency vehicles. Wait, that’s a thing?</p><p>NHTSA's Autopilot Interrogation</p><p>NHTSA, the safety watchdog, isn't done yet. They've been investigating
35 Tesla crashes since 2016 where autopilot might've been pulling the strings.
At least 17 lives have been lost, and the investigators are on a mission to
make Tesla's Autopilot safer. </p><p>We’re left with the impression that, for now, you’re probably best, you
know, driving your Tesla yourself. In any case, buckle up, it's going to be a
bumpy ride.</p><p>It's been a challenging time for Elon Musk over the past few months, with questions asked about safety at Space X, <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/trending/elon-musks-rollercoaster-twitter-spacex-and-a-borrowed-billion/" target="_blank" rel="follow">money flitting back and forth between his companies</a> and the news that <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/trending/twitter-after-one-year-of-musk-down-down-down/" target="_blank" rel="follow">advertisers are fleeing X (Twitter) in huge numbers</a>. And of course, there's all sorts of fun and games going on with <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/trending/the-tesla-cybertruck-an-automotive-marvel-with-strings-attached/" target="_blank" rel="follow">Cybertruck</a>. Perhaps a break over the New Year is in order.</p>

This article was written by Louis Parks at www.financemagnates.com.